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MAYBE GREED WILL SAVE US - WILL SAM KNOCK OUT MMPI?

Submitted by Roldo on Sat, 03/14/2009 - 13:24.

It’s pretty discouraging when you have to depend on the greedy to save you.

However, maybe greed will save us. Forest City Enterprises and Merchandise Mart Properties Inc. (MMPI) are locked in a deadly battle of which one will be able to pocket those hundreds of millions of dollars for a Medical Mart and new Convention Center.

Nothing like having rich, greedy developers in a high-stakes scuffle. Don’t you just love seeing all that developer gluttony on display on the front page?

Forest City isn’t giving up. MMPI may have the County Commissioners. But Sam and the boys won’t go gracefully.

I’m happy about that since there’s no citizen group here to stop the constant give-away of public funds to private interests.

Maybe we can count on greed to help us.

Forest City – Sam Miller and the Ratners – say that the ceilings are too low in the Mall plan of MMPI and there isn’t enough parking. You’d think they could come up with better criticisms but I’ll take what I can get.

I remember that the Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP) plan for the Forest City/Cuyahoga River site called for a stingy 925 parking slots.

As I have said before, once we pay nearly a billion (including interest) for the Medical Mart and Convention center there will have to be more parking. A new parking garage, we need it, must have it!

Who will pay for the parking? You.

There will also be a need for a convention sized hotel.

Who will pay for the hotel? You.

Let’s hope the two big and greedy sides slug it out until there’s no decision. Until they knock each other out.

How about his quote today opposing the CSU vision promoted in the PD today - "Sam Miller, a CSU trustee and an executive at Forest City Enterprises, said Boyle and others are "dreaming" if they think developers will take on the campus project. Dan Moore, another trustee and local businessman, also questioned how much interest it will draw."

I would fear also that CSU get into the development business, even if second-hand.

CSU should provide the best education it can to Cleveland kids who may not be able to afford downtown living quarters.

On the baseball field question, why would public funds be used for St. Ignatius?

Who dreamed up this scheme?

I'd say that Browns stadium is empty all baseball season. Let St. Ignatius rent the empty $350-million stadium. Lerner uses it for a pittance some 9 or 10 times a year. The city has the right for nine events a year, which the city has very, very rarely used, and it could provide the stadium for CSU for nine games gratis. Just lay out a baseball field for the summer.